The Fort: Lions first roar

Part I: Chapter One

The sun was about to set when he headed to the tavern. After a long day, everyone was up for a glass or two, or three.

When he opened the door to the tavern, Monsters Coffin, a wave of laughs and high voices met him. Basically all of the town where here tonight, which wasn't very unusual. Everyone knew everyone here. At the biggest table in the corner sat the loudest party of all. The young man made his way to the table and smile to his friends.

"Good evening, lads and ladies!"

"Good evening, Bruno!" The centaur replied. Bruno sat down next to him (he stood up) and pulled his hood down. The others smiled at him.

"Thought we lost you" laughed Hal, one of the knights.

"You wish!"

"Ah, let him play" his friend responded. He was still wearing his hood and had a big grin over his face. Bruno grinned back to his friend, know as Caerythas, or just Cae. There were other people there too. A young woman with violet-brown hair, a pixie that sat on the table to see something, a woman with an eye patch that had a deep conversation with the centaur and a dwarf, sitting in the middle. This man was older than the others, with deep-lying eyes and a big blond beard. He was also wearing expensive clothes in red, black, and gold. This was Gimlon, lord of the fort, commander over the troops, and the people sitting around the table were his knights, advisers, and friends. He was probably one of the best soldiers in all of the seven regions.

"Something to drink, Bruno?" Penny asked when she came to take the empty cups.

"Just the usual, Penny" he smiled.

"Penny! Get back into the kitchen! NOW! Twig needs your help!" Penny rolled her eyes and hurried over to the kitchen. Another woman, the one who just yelled at Penny, came with his drink.

"Is everything to satisfaction, my lordship?" she asked them. She was pretty, with a heart-shaped face and dark brown hair. But from the waist and down, she had the body of a snake, with black and sometimes golden scale.

"As always, Nebula" the centaur smiled. The woman next to him slid her cup over the table to Nebula.

"Refill it. Please" she said. Nebula crossed her arms. After the cup came a heavy bag of gold. "Payment for the lordship" the woman grinned. Nebula seemed to count to ten before taking the cup and the gold to the bar.

"Tempting, but unnecessary," a voice said from the shadows.

"She knows it's a joke" the woman continued to grin. In the light from the candles, you could see a scar crossing her face, going in under the eye patch and out on the other side. "Hopefully"

"Or she'll poison your ale," the warlock said and took a sip of his own.

"I like living with that knowledge."

"And people say I have a death wish," Cae said. A high guffaw erupted, so poor Penny almost dropped the cups she had refilled.

"Enjoying your time?" Antonius asked Conrad.

"No" he sighed. He looked out over the people in the bar. "Adam is late again"

"Are you really surprised?" Antonius chuckled and drank some more. Then he changed in an instant. "Speaking of surprises, look who's here"

A girl with long golden-brown hair and pointy hat had just entered the tavern. Though she was quiet and good at blending in, no-one could hide from the warlock.

"It's Dea!"

"It's a wandering problem in purple hat" Antonius looked after her when she made her way to the bar. "If she's here Samantha and Neva will be soon too, and who knows what else."

"Oh, Adam is going to be so happy to see her!"

"And don't even mention that! Ghosts I better tell the General, she won't be happy..."

BANG! The door burst wide open when a huge ogre decided to run right into it. Twig signed.

"I'll get the tools"

The ogre, who wasn't really an ogre, rose and rubbed his head while he laughed. He was actually not more than a boy, even though he was two meters tall and had kind of green skin.

"Adam" Nebula smacked her lips. "How many times have a told you not to do that?"

"Uhm...twelve?"

"And how do you always manage do forget that?"

"He just ran his head into your front door Nebula, give him a break!" shouted Lizzie. The tavern laughed and Nebula rolled her eyes. Now the mood had become a lot easier, so everyone started to talk. When the bard Cedric started to play a song everyone cheered or stomped the beat. Soon people were dancing on the tables, drinking with strangers or making out with someone the hopefully knew. So no-one, not even Antonius, noticed when the witch, smiling, snuck out the back door.